Life has been ruff for Alfie the Afghan hound who made Telegraph & Argus headlines when he was handed into the RSPCA's animal sanctuary in a shocking state.

Staff at the Mount Street animal home and clinic still want to speak to the mystery man and woman who dropped him off last week after claiming to have found him in Rooley Lane, Odsal.

Alfie, who was named by RSPCA staff, was caked in faeces so much that he could hardly walk when he arrived.

It took one vet and four nurses almost three hours to clip about five kilos of matted hair off him, said RSPCA Inspector Rachel Oprysk.

She said: "I have never seen a more hideous case of matting. He probably hadn't been groomed for months, maybe even years. He had to go under an anaesthetic for it to be done."

She suspects the hound, who is a pedigree dog and valued at hundreds of pounds, had possibly been kept in an open pen and that his owners had not been able to cope with his high-maintenance grooming.

"He's a fussy eater, his teeth are in good order and generally he's in good shape so he's been fed. It was just the matting that's been caused by neglect.

"Someone must know somebody who has had an Afghan like Alfie. We want to hear from them and we'd like to speak to the man and woman who brought him in. We need to get as much background on him as possible."

She said Alfie, who is now feasting on a diet of stewing steak, is on the mend and is responding well to antibiotics prescribed by the vet.

"He's doing really well. We've made an official lost report out for him but he's already had an offer of a good home. He's going to be one of the lucky ones.

"His skin will heal and his coat will grow. It's going to be beautiful and glossy when it comes back, he's a beautiful boy."

More than 50 unwanted dogs and cats have been taken in nationally by the RSPCA every day over the Christmas holiday, according to the charity.

Its animal centres in England and Wales took in more than 1,500 cats and dogs in December last year.

RSPCA chief vet Mark Evans said its work to help unwanted animals goes on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year - including Christmas and the New Year.

He said: "As every year, our dedicated staff at our animal rehoming centres around the UK will have spent their Christmas caring for thousands of animals, all desperately in need of new, caring owners."

Anyone who believes they have information about Alfie can contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234999.